diff --git a/src/cargo/ops/cargo_package.rs b/src/cargo/ops/cargo_package.rs
index a8f92ad2fe3..9fd2b97101e 100644
--- a/src/cargo/ops/cargo_package.rs
+++ b/src/cargo/ops/cargo_package.rs
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ pub fn package(ws: &Workspace<'_>, opts: &PackageOpts<'_>) -> CargoResult<Option
         let mut list: Vec<_> = src
             .list_files(pkg)?
             .iter()
-            .map(|file| util::without_prefix(file, root).unwrap().to_path_buf())
+            .map(|file| file.strip_prefix(root).unwrap().to_path_buf())
             .collect();
         if include_lockfile(pkg) {
             list.push("Cargo.lock".into());
@@ -266,7 +266,7 @@ fn check_vcs_file_collision(pkg: &Package, src_files: &[PathBuf]) -> CargoResult
     let vcs_info_path = Path::new(VCS_INFO_FILE);
     let collision = src_files
         .iter()
-        .find(|&p| util::without_prefix(&p, root).unwrap() == vcs_info_path);
+        .find(|&p| p.strip_prefix(root).unwrap() == vcs_info_path);
     if collision.is_some() {
         failure::bail!(
             "Invalid inclusion of reserved file name \
@@ -296,7 +296,7 @@ fn tar(
     let config = ws.config();
     let root = pkg.root();
     for file in src_files.iter() {
-        let relative = util::without_prefix(file, root).unwrap();
+        let relative = file.strip_prefix(root)?;
         check_filename(relative)?;
         let relative = relative.to_str().ok_or_else(|| {
             failure::format_err!("non-utf8 path in source directory: {}", relative.display())
diff --git a/src/cargo/ops/cargo_run.rs b/src/cargo/ops/cargo_run.rs
index 2353ec4d489..ee83f5e6c83 100644
--- a/src/cargo/ops/cargo_run.rs
+++ b/src/cargo/ops/cargo_run.rs
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ use std::path::Path;
 
 use crate::core::{nightly_features_allowed, TargetKind, Workspace};
 use crate::ops;
-use crate::util::{self, CargoResult, ProcessError};
+use crate::util::{CargoResult, ProcessError};
 
 pub fn run(
     ws: &Workspace<'_>,
@@ -81,10 +81,10 @@ pub fn run(
     let compile = ops::compile(ws, options)?;
     assert_eq!(compile.binaries.len(), 1);
     let exe = &compile.binaries[0];
-    let exe = match util::without_prefix(exe, config.cwd()) {
-        Some(path) if path.file_name() == Some(path.as_os_str()) => Path::new(".").join(path),
-        Some(path) => path.to_path_buf(),
-        None => exe.to_path_buf(),
+    let exe = match exe.strip_prefix(config.cwd()) {
+        Ok(path) if path.file_name() == Some(path.as_os_str()) => Path::new(".").join(path),
+        Ok(path) => path.to_path_buf(),
+        Err(_) => exe.to_path_buf(),
     };
     let pkg = bins[0].0;
     let mut process = compile.target_process(exe, pkg)?;
diff --git a/src/cargo/ops/cargo_test.rs b/src/cargo/ops/cargo_test.rs
index 83d5184f58c..30a7d55ed0d 100644
--- a/src/cargo/ops/cargo_test.rs
+++ b/src/cargo/ops/cargo_test.rs
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ use crate::core::compiler::{Compilation, Doctest};
 use crate::core::Workspace;
 use crate::ops;
 use crate::util::errors::CargoResult;
-use crate::util::{self, CargoTestError, ProcessError, Test};
+use crate::util::{CargoTestError, ProcessError, Test};
 
 pub struct TestOptions<'a> {
     pub compile_opts: ops::CompileOptions<'a>,
@@ -81,18 +81,15 @@ fn run_unit_tests(
     let mut errors = Vec::new();
 
     for &(ref pkg, ref kind, ref test, ref exe) in &compilation.tests {
-        let to_display = match util::without_prefix(exe, cwd) {
-            Some(path) => path,
-            None => &**exe,
-        };
+        let exe_display = exe.strip_prefix(cwd).unwrap_or(exe).display();
         let mut cmd = compilation.target_process(exe, pkg)?;
         cmd.args(test_args);
         config
             .shell()
-            .concise(|shell| shell.status("Running", to_display.display().to_string()))?;
+            .concise(|shell| shell.status("Running", &exe_display))?;
         config
             .shell()
-            .verbose(|shell| shell.status("Running", cmd.to_string()))?;
+            .verbose(|shell| shell.status("Running", &cmd))?;
 
         let result = cmd.exec();
 
diff --git a/src/cargo/sources/path.rs b/src/cargo/sources/path.rs
index e95ccd7bf67..e64e0361b4f 100644
--- a/src/cargo/sources/path.rs
+++ b/src/cargo/sources/path.rs
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ use crate::core::{Dependency, Package, PackageId, Source, SourceId, Summary};
 use crate::ops;
 use crate::util::paths;
 use crate::util::Config;
-use crate::util::{self, internal, CargoResult};
+use crate::util::{internal, CargoResult};
 
 pub struct PathSource<'cfg> {
     source_id: SourceId,
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ impl<'cfg> PathSource<'cfg> {
         // matching to paths
 
         let mut filter = |path: &Path| -> CargoResult<bool> {
-            let relative_path = util::without_prefix(path, root).unwrap();
+            let relative_path = path.strip_prefix(root)?;
             let glob_should_package = glob_should_package(relative_path);
             let ignore_should_package = ignore_should_package(relative_path)?;
 
@@ -278,7 +278,7 @@ impl<'cfg> PathSource<'cfg> {
                         Ok(index) => index,
                         Err(err) => return Some(Err(err.into())),
                     };
-                    let path = util::without_prefix(root, cur).unwrap().join("Cargo.toml");
+                    let path = root.strip_prefix(cur).unwrap().join("Cargo.toml");
                     if index.get_path(&path, 0).is_some() {
                         return Some(self.list_files_git(pkg, &repo, filter));
                     }
@@ -325,7 +325,7 @@ impl<'cfg> PathSource<'cfg> {
         });
         let mut opts = git2::StatusOptions::new();
         opts.include_untracked(true);
-        if let Some(suffix) = util::without_prefix(pkg_path, root) {
+        if let Ok(suffix) = pkg_path.strip_prefix(root) {
             opts.pathspec(suffix);
         }
         let statuses = repo.statuses(Some(&mut opts))?;
@@ -376,7 +376,7 @@ impl<'cfg> PathSource<'cfg> {
 
             if is_dir.unwrap_or_else(|| file_path.is_dir()) {
                 warn!("  found submodule {}", file_path.display());
-                let rel = util::without_prefix(&file_path, root).unwrap();
+                let rel = file_path.strip_prefix(root)?;
                 let rel = rel.to_str().ok_or_else(|| {
                     failure::format_err!("invalid utf-8 filename: {}", rel.display())
                 })?;
diff --git a/src/cargo/util/mod.rs b/src/cargo/util/mod.rs
index ef2cffba9a1..d973016ba02 100644
--- a/src/cargo/util/mod.rs
+++ b/src/cargo/util/mod.rs
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ pub use self::hex::{hash_u64, short_hash, to_hex};
 pub use self::lev_distance::lev_distance;
 pub use self::lockserver::{LockServer, LockServerClient, LockServerStarted};
 pub use self::paths::{bytes2path, dylib_path, join_paths, path2bytes};
-pub use self::paths::{dylib_path_envvar, normalize_path, without_prefix};
+pub use self::paths::{dylib_path_envvar, normalize_path};
 pub use self::process_builder::{process, ProcessBuilder};
 pub use self::progress::{Progress, ProgressStyle};
 pub use self::read2::read2;
diff --git a/src/cargo/util/paths.rs b/src/cargo/util/paths.rs
index 7ecd4160386..794e15307ba 100644
--- a/src/cargo/util/paths.rs
+++ b/src/cargo/util/paths.rs
@@ -85,20 +85,6 @@ pub fn normalize_path(path: &Path) -> PathBuf {
     ret
 }
 
-pub fn without_prefix<'a>(long_path: &'a Path, prefix: &'a Path) -> Option<&'a Path> {
-    let mut a = long_path.components();
-    let mut b = prefix.components();
-    loop {
-        match b.next() {
-            Some(y) => match a.next() {
-                Some(x) if x == y => continue,
-                _ => return None,
-            },
-            None => return Some(a.as_path()),
-        }
-    }
-}
-
 pub fn resolve_executable(exec: &Path) -> CargoResult<PathBuf> {
     if exec.components().count() == 1 {
         let paths = env::var_os("PATH").ok_or_else(|| failure::format_err!("no PATH"))?;
diff --git a/src/cargo/util/toml/mod.rs b/src/cargo/util/toml/mod.rs
index 966ca470974..a57a09dfa61 100644
--- a/src/cargo/util/toml/mod.rs
+++ b/src/cargo/util/toml/mod.rs
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ fn do_read_manifest(
 
     let toml = {
         let pretty_filename =
-            util::without_prefix(manifest_file, config.cwd()).unwrap_or(manifest_file);
+            manifest_file.strip_prefix(config.cwd()).unwrap_or(manifest_file);
         parse(contents, pretty_filename, config)?
     };